Be my Baby
by shipper-swabbie
Summary: She felt frustrated, because if she didn't, she'd just be crying. Caskett, oneshot. Becky loses her mother's ring. Please R/R!


A/N: Hello! Just thought I should let y'all know that this is a futurefic and therefore, kind of A/U. I'm sorry if you don't like those- I don't do that very often. I like to keep it pretty real when it comes to fanfic. Anyhoo, Castle and Beckett are living together here, and 'Lexis is off to college. I think it's a totally viable future. It's also a oneshot, please don't ask me to write more D:

This idea has been bouncing around in my head for WEEKS. It feels nice to get it off my chest... TWSS! (Sorry...)

Also my only beta is the speech function on my textedit. Unfortunately, Castle was not available, so I had to use an alternative. Feel free to let me know if you catch any mistakes- I'll try and fix it...

Disclaimer: I only own the words and how they were put together. Please don't sue me! Also? I stole the title from 'The Fray'... I thought it was kinda appropriate.

-

Be my Baby

-

Kate Beckett felt her eyes water and she bit her quivering lip to prevent a sob from escaping them.

It had been almost a three days since Kate had seen her mother's diamond ring. She searched her bedroom approximately thirty-seven times with no luck and Castle had been searching for it all week. She knew that at work, the chain that held it had broke during a particularly violent arrest early last Tuesday. Thankfully, Castle had discovered it immediately and, as far as Kate knew, she had placed it in her pocket.

The only problem was that when Kate had checked her jeans later that night, her mother's ring was not there. Kate had tried to compose herself, but when she told Castle about what had happened, his sweet concern has shattered her composure immediately.

"What happened, Kate?" He asked her halfway through removing his shirt. Kate had resigned herself to the edge of their bed and way struggling to control her breathing.

"It's gone." She said, distant.

"Your mother's ring? But I found it," He discarded his shirt and stood over her by the bedside, concern riddling his usually playful expressions. He took each of her hands in his own, "It was at the crime scene- You put it in your pocket."

"Thank God you're here, Castle- If only I had thought of that sooner! Oh wait, I did," she said anger seething, "And it's gone now. So what now, genius?"

"OK, Kate- I know you're upset right now, but using sarcasm to mock my abnormally sophisticated intelligence is a low blow-"

"_Rick!" _She yelled, pulling her hands away from him and standing up with tears in her eyes.

Castle had to stop himself from smacking his palm against his forehead. He may have been a literary genius, but when it came to real feelings and real hurt, Castle really needed some work.

"Oh, hey," He cooed, pulling her into his arms as she finally let the first sob escape, "I'm so sorry, Katie- I'm a total ass. It's all right, we'll find it." He knew how important that ring was to her. He knew what it would mean for her if she lost it. It would be like losing her mother all over again.

It would have been a lot easier for Beckett to yell and be angry and blame Castle, blame the suspect who broke her chain; just to shut herself off and get pissed off, but she was in a real relationship now, and part of the package was to be trusting. Letting herself be vulnerable, letting him hold her and try and make it better.

"It's-" She said between sobs, "All I have left of her. If I lost it, Rick-"

"Shhhh," he couldn't let her go there. Not now, "We'll find it."

He pushed away from her, only so he could look her in the eyes, "Kate, I will do everything humanly, and sometimes _super_humanly possible, if the occasion calls for it, to find that ring. I promise, Kate. You know how stubborn I am. I won't rest-"

"I get it, Castle, " she said through a teary chuckle, "Thank you," she finished, with the brightest smile she could muster.

He placed a warm hand on her cheek and brushed a tear away with his thumb, "You know I love you, right?"

"Yeah," She answered with a sad smile and a graceless sniffle, "Me too."

He kissed her softly and held her close that whole night.

-

A few days had passed and Castle had exhausted every resource at his disposal, including a very questionable encounter with a transvestite pawn shop owner on the lower East side.

He had never felt so useless in his entire life; and that's saying a lot coming from a guy who follows his cop girlfriend around as an unarmed volunteer five days a week.

Kate had mercifully stopped asking if he had found anything, as it wasn't long before every report to her had been accompanied by the searing humiliation failure. Castled hated disappointing her.

Meanwhile, Beckett had thrown herself into the work, trusting Castle completely to find her mother's ring, which made him feel all the more miserable when he couldn't find anything useful.

Castle slouched in the back of a cab, rubbing his temples. He had to meet Kate for coffee in twenty minutes and tell her that he was on his very last lead for the ring and was getting nowhere fast.

"This _sucks._" He said out loud, throwing his head back in the seat. The taxi driver didn't seem to notice, and cared even less if he had. Castle wonder absently if his head slamming against the back of the drivers seat would get his attention, because as far as Castle knew, the _cab diver_ might have the ring.

He had never felt so miserable. He had _promised _Kate he would find it and so far, all that he had accomplished in the last week was let her down. Castle spiral of self pity was interrupted by a buzz from his blackberry.

He checked the caller ID- It was Alexis. It was her freshman year in college, and since Beckett had moved in with him, he had hardly seen his daughter. In fact, the last time he seen her was the day Beckett's ring disappeared- small world.

"Hey, honey!" He said as warmly as he could. Alexis didn't need to know how miserable her old man had been feeling the last few days. But Alexis knew better, and he wasn't fooling anybody.

"Hey, Dad! What's wrong? You sound like-"

"Ah, ah! Just because you living out there on your own doesn't mean you get to curse in front of your father!"

"I was going to say 'crap'."

"Oh well, enough about me, what's new with you? Have you been to your first college party? Did you get wasted and do a bunch of irresponsible and illegal things?"

"Sure, dad. That really sounds like something I would do. I actually have a reason for calling."

"Let's hear it, doll."

"Remember how I picked up your dry-cleaning last week at the precinct? Well some of Kate's clothes must have got mixed up with it. Anyway, I think I have one of her coats. The one that I have is a size too big and-"

"Oh my, God, Alexis! Did it have a diamond ring in one of the pockets?"

"Yeah, actually! Is it Kate's?" She answered, confused.

Castle was speechless. Alexis had it all along! He didn't fail Beckett! He was so happy he couldn't even remember his daughter was still on the phone, waiting for him to answer.

"Alexis, I love you and I'll be at your dorm in like- three minutes."

Castle had redirected the cab before Alexis had even asked him why.

-

Kate Beckett was annoyed. Not only had Castle cancelled on her last minute for coffee, but she had another sad, difficult case. Since Castle had taken a couple days off to look for her mother's ring, she didn't have anybody to keep her mind off of the case, letting it get to her more that what she was used to.

Thankfully, she got the afternoon off and was able to leave work early. She needed her was having a very genuinely shitty week. She dropped her keys of the door-side table, kicked her shoes off and was surprised to find Castle home.

This had annoyed her a little more. She wondered if he had completely understood the magnitude of her loss. This was a very big deal for her, she thought he knew that. She was sure he meant it when he said her wouldn't stop until he found the ring.

She didn't blame him for it, nor was it fair for her to have entrusted such a task solely on him. She knew in her heart that if they hadn't found the ring by now, the chances of them ever finding decreased with every minute it was gone.

In spite of that, it didn't make the situation any less frustrating. That ring had become a part of her, who she was and who she wanted to be.

Beckett had an amazing mother, and there had always been a part of her that wanted to follow in her mother's footsteps. Fall in love, get married, and even have some kids. When she met Castle, it had all become more attainable, more substantial.

Since she had lost that ring, she had also lost a piece of that picture. She felt frustrated, because if she didn't, she's just be crying.

She cocked her head to the side and watched Castle very carefully from the doorway. He had his back turned to her in the kitchen and was pacing back and forth.

"Hey?" She said, curious.

He jumped slightly and turned to face her, "Kate!" he said face lighting up. His enthusiasm was infectious, and she found herself smiling in spite of her previous frustration.

He ran over and kissed her quickly on the cheek, "I have good news!"

"You found it!"

"Ah, ah. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Come, sit down, please."

She complied very confused and even more inpatient. She sat down and he knelt down on the floor in front of her so his head was just below her eye level.

"Castle," she said slowly, trying not to sound annoyed, "Don't screw with me. Did you find it or not?"

"I didn't," She felt her heart sink, but his smile just grew wider. He shoved his hand in his pocket hastily, and finished his thought, "Alexis found it."

Kate gasped and put her hand to her mouth in astonishment; she couldn't stop the tears as they sprang to her eyes, "How?"

"Remember that time that you and Alexis went shopping and came home with the same jacket?"

Kate nodded biting her lower lip, letting the happy tears fall freely, "We couldn't decide who it looked better on."

"They got mixed up the day she did my dry cleaning. It was in your coat pocket the whole time."

"Castle-"

"Now before you get too carried away, I have a quick suggestion for you," He continued, holding up the ring, "I think you should starting wearing this on your finger. I don't think Johanna would mind." He slipped it on her left hand and his face went very serious, "Marry me?"

Her eyes went wide and her mouth dropped open with shock. Her jaw quivered and worked its self for a moment before shutting decidedly on a warm smile. She bit her bottom lip and nodded a teary 'yes'.

She practically fell out of her chair and into his arms. She let out a happy sob and she hugged him tightly. Castle just stared over her shoulder in disbelief. He could not believe she said yes.

He pushed her away from him from a moment and looked at her very seriously, "Are you sure? You don't have to if you don't want to. I'll understand-"

"Castle," she said laughing and putting a finger over his mouth, "Believe me, I want to marry you. I would have let someone shoot you by now if I didn' annoy the _hell _out of me!"

He gave her a sweet, dopey, lop-sided smile, "I love you _so much_, Kate."

"I love you more." And she kissed him.

Finally Kate had what what she had been always imagined. A home, someone to love, and her mother's ring worn proudly as her own. Maybe it wasn't her mother who gave it to her, but it was the next best thing. It was the person that finally gave her the strength to live without her mother around.

-

A/N2: Please tell me I'm not the only one who would love to have a family heirloom as an engagement ring? I just LOVE the idea of it. I don't know why. I don't know if Becky agrees with me or not, but I took a couple of artistic liberties. Tell what YOU think in a review!


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